Invitation letters

Women registered with a GP will receive a letter inviting them to make an appointment, along with further information about cervical screening.

The letters should be sent out to women:

between ages 25 and 64 - every three years

between ages 50 and 64 - every five years

over 65 - only women who haven't been screened since age 50 or those who have recently had abnormal tests

Women under 25 could be invited up to six months before their 25th birthday and you can book your screening appointment as soon as you get the invitation.

If you haven't had a cervical screening test within the appropriate time, you may be offered one when you next visit your GP or family planning clinic. You can also contact your GP practice to book a screening appointment if you're overdue one.

Make sure your GP has your correct name and address and let them know of any changes so you can be contacted when you're due to have a screening test.

If you're not sure when your next screening test should be, or if you have any questions about the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, ask your GP or practice nurse.

Alternative screening locations

If you're not registered with a GP practice, or if you don’t wish to be screened at your GP practice, you can arrange to have a cervical screening test at:

Pregnant women

If you're pregnant and have always attended your screening appointments without having abnormal results, it's usually recommended that you wait until three months after giving birth before having a screening test.

If you're invited to cervical screening while pregnant and you're unsure whether you need to be tested, contact your GP or practice nurse for advice.

Women aged 65 and over

Women aged 65 and over whose last three test results were normal aren't invited for further cervical screening tests. This is because it's very unlikely that women in this group will go on to develop cervical cancer.

If you're over 64 and have had abnormal test results, you'll continue to be invited for screening until the cells return to normal. Women aged 65 and over who have never had screening are entitled to a test.

Women who have had a total hysterectomy

Women who have had a total hysterectomy (an operation to remove the womb and cervix) will no longer be invited to attend cervical screening, as it's not necessary for them.

Women who have had a hysterectomy that has left all or part of the cervix in place will be invited for screening once their post-operative care has finished.

Women who have had a total hysterectomy to treat cancer, or who had cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN, a type of cervical cell change that can lead to cancer) at the time of having a total hysterectomy, may need another type of test called a vault smear.

This is where a sample of cells is taken from the vagina, close to where the cervix used to be. Vault smears are part of the follow-up treatment for hysterectomy and aren't part of the cervical screening programme.

Why aren't women under 25 routinely screened?

Women under the age of 25 aren't routinely invited for screening as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. This is because normal developmental cell changes in the cervix can look very similar to abnormal cell changes, leading to unnecessary treatment and worry. Cervical cancer is also very rare in this age group.

If you're under the age of 25 and worried about your risk of developing cervical cancer, or you're concerned about other aspects of your sexual health, visit your GP or your local GUM clinic for advice.

Any woman under 25 with abnormal vaginal bleeding (after sex or in between periods) should see their GP. The GP should refer her to a gynaecologist for investigations. Cervical screening isn't a test for symptoms.

Getting symptoms checked

If you've recently had a cervical screening test and the results were normal, but you develop symptoms such as unusual vaginal bleeding, visit your GP or GUM clinic for a check-up.

There could be several different reasons for your symptoms, so further investigation is needed.

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Comments

The 4 comments about ‘When it's offered’ posted are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

valentine the destroyer said on 15 October 2011

so does anybody know at which point they decide to investigate abnormal smear tests?every single test i've had since i was twenty which is about eight has come back abnormal.nobody will tell me anything or even contemplate investigating furtheri just keep getting told to come back in six monthswhere its still abnormaland the cycle continues.

northernfox said on 21 July 2011

I'm fifty-four. I know how important it is to have regular smear tests. However, my GP surgery no longer sends out reminders as to when when our tests are due......We're supposed to remember and bok appointments ourselves.

I have no idea how often women of my age are suposed to have smear tests! How, th3en, am I supposed to know when to book an appointment.....?

Uzine said on 30 January 2011

After finding our about risks of cervicial cancer I chose to decline my last three cerivical smear tests. The disadvantages for me outweigh the advantages of the test. Women should be given clear advice on both the advantages and disadvantages in their call up letters.

xhappygoluckyx said on 19 January 2011

As far as I am aware, while i was at school i had only been offered the jab once. unfortunately i was away from school that day, and i was never offered it again. Now i am 19 and have left school, i am very worried about not having had the jab! what shall i do? is there anyway i can get the jab to prevent me from getting the cancer?

Cervical cancer: Tina's story

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Regular smear tests saved Tina's life and her fertililty. She talks about her experience of cervical cancer and her treatment.
Note: the purpose of a smear is to detect pre-cancer, that is pre-invasive disease.